America wussed out.

[Rosemary2205]

This isn't really about the primary. It's about America. Racism in America.

When the media threw Rev Wright's words in our faces there was a window of opportunity. For a moment it looked like maybe, just maybe, we would have a new kind of converation about how the ultra elite use racism to keep us all in check - about how people at the bottom (and at every level) have more in common that we have differences - about how the distrust and stereotypes don't serve any of us very well - about how we need to start standing up for each other against "the man".

A few decades ago we had the courage to pass some laws that were supposed to start turning around the deliberate virtual enslavement of some of our citizens. It's time we had another conversation about where we've come, and where we really need to go.

But sadly, we blinked. We grabbed the comedy of a flag pin and a Bosnian sniper instead. We wussed.


I hope. My god I do hope. If Obama manages to get himself into the White House, I so dearly hope we allow him to lead us in that discussion afterall.

[nomorenomore08]

1. Don't feel bad. The mere fact of a black man being a major presidential candidate opens a dialogue

that might not have been opened otherwise. With Obama in the White House, people will be forced to address these issues whether they want to or not. Sometimes a little discomfort is a good thing, you know?

[David__77]

2. Well, Obama will be the nominee.

The argument against Obama from certain Democrats really boils down to "Obama is Black and cannot be elected in November. We cannot afford to risk this!" Some have even openly articulated this viewpoint. But, alas, he will be the nominee because he amassed a substantial lead earlier on. We will have a monumental fight until November to ensure he wins, but I believe he can and will.

[islandmkl]

3. I heard an exchange along these lines about 3 days ago:

regular guy #1: jesus, a b**** and a n******, what a choice.

regular guy #2: what the hell are the democrats doing? how can they f*** this up this bad?

old guy #3: which one of you guys think this white idiot we have now is doing good? looks like white guy just about run its course for now.

the bar got a little quiet, the two 'regular' guys kind of looked around for support...the old guy is in that bar every day at 4:30, knows everybody, is kind of quiet...there were about 20 or so people within earshot...everybody else was looking around, or down, or giving the old guy a thumbs up...

but, nobody said anything...which was probably a good thing, all in all...

i like to HOPE that he made even ONE person consider where we are in this country...and how far we have to go to make things good for all of us...

[nomorenomore08]

4. "Looks like white guy just about run its course for now."

And there you have an argument to sink McCain. Beautiful. :thumbsup:

[Rosemary2205]

5. oh we may elect a "not white male" person alright.

I think Obama wants to give us the chance to have that conversation. I'm not sure if we will. Simply electing him isn't going to get the job done.

Bill Clinton, for all his many flaws, tried to get us to have a conversation about our changing economic place in the world. We decided to giggle about blow jobs instead of real jobs - we decided to tell blue collars to quit whining and go to college instead of having an actual conversation. Well, not having that conversation then set us up for even the college folks to be suffering now.

At some point we need to tell Brit Hume and Charlie Gibson to go get stuffed and really just throw it all down.

Like surgery.